Stationary truss bus with stationary jaw contact for vertical reach high tension disconnecting switch



June 29, 1965 J. A. TURGEON 3,192,333

STATIONARY TRUSS BUS WITH STATIONARY JAW CONTACT FOR VERTICAL REACH HIGH TENSION DISCONNECTING SWITCH Flled May 21 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I E; 1 (PRIOR ART) I a: E (p INVENTOR. JOJEP/f fl- 77/!6'50 June 29, 1965 J. A. TURGEON 3,192,333

STATIONARY TRUSS BUS WITH STATIONARY JAW CONTACT FOR VERTICAL REACH HIGH TENSION DISCONNECTING SWITCH 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 21, 1962 S 0 6 W L INVENTOR. JflJfP/l '4- 70/9650 J. A. TURGEON June 29, 1965 STATIONARY muss BUS WITH STATIONARY JAW CONTACT FOR VERTICAL REACH HIGH TENSION mscomwcnue swncn 5 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed May 21, 1962 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH fl- 70/9650 United States Patent 3,192,333 STATIONARY TRUSS BUS WITH STATIONARY JAW CONTACT FOR VERTICAL REACH HIGH TENSION DISCONNECTING SWITCH Joseph A. Turgeon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to I-T-E Circuit Breaker (Canada) Ltd., Port Credit, Ontario, Canada, a limited-liability company of Canada Filed May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 197,192 7 Claims. (Cl. 20048) My invention relates to a novel truss bus for vertical reach switches and more specifically relates to a bus formed of a mechanical truss which has a stationary jaw contact pivotally secured thereto.

Vertical reach switches of the type set forth in US. Patent No. 2,774,832 commonly cooperate with a stationary jaw which is located on high voltage cables which extend across the switching station. These cables are relatively flexible members and have considerable movement, or sway due to wind, ice, loading and so on. For this reason, the stationary jaw has no relatively fixed position with respect to the movable contact of the switch whereby a large flare has been required for the stationary jaw to permit considerable misalignments between the stationary contact and movable contact at the time the contacts are to be engaged. Therefore, an expensive jaw which takes considerable space is required. Moreover, where the contacts are engaged under unusual swaying conditions, it is possible that the movable contact could completely miss the stationary jaw, so that serious damage to the switch could occur.

The principle of the present invention is to provide a high voltage conductor for carrying the stationary jaw which is formed of a conductive truss which replaces the formerly used flexible cable. The novel truss of the invention is arranged to permit relatively long unsupported lengths to be rigidly carried and can be, for example 70 feet long. Thus a novel configuration is provided to permit the truss to have a minimum Weight with a maximum section modulus.

Several advantages flow from the novel arrangement of the invention. The first is that the vertical supports in the switching bay which hold the rigid bus are considerably reduced in size. That is to say, when flexible cable is used, considerable tensile forces can be imposed on the vertical supports. Since the conductor is now a rigid member, its physical position is unchanged whereby the tensile forces on the vertical supports are reduced.

The next major advantage of the invention is that the stationary jaw of the switch has a fixed location with respect to the movable contact arm of the vertical reach switch, so that there is no need to provide flexibility in the switch operating mechanism, and there is no need to provide a flare for the stationary jaw.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a novel truss bus for switching bays.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel arrangement for vertical reach switches which reduces the forces on the vertical supports which carry the overhead lines.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rigid bus support for the stationary contact of the vertical reach switch.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simplified construction for the stationary contact of the vertical reach switch.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the drawings, in which: 7

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view in schematic form to show the relative positions of a three phase vertical reach 3,192,333 Patented June 29, 1965 switch and its respective three stationary contacts supported from overhead conductors.

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1 and illustrates the switch movable contact arms when engaged with the various overhead stationary contacts.

FIGURE 3 schematically illustrates the manner in which the stationary contacts of FIGURES l and 2 can be secured to a truss type bus with the low bus running parallel to the high bus.

FIGURE 4 shows the low bus normal to the high bus.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the truss bus of FIGURES 3 and 4.

FIGURE 6 is a detailed plan view of the stationary contact inside the truss bus of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a front view of FIGURE 6 and particularly illustrates the manner in which a stationary contact is secured to the truss bus.

Referring now to the drawings and specifically to FIGURES 1 and 2, I have illustrated therein a typical three pole vertical reach switch where each of the poles may be of the type shown in US Patent No. 2,774,832. Thus, in FIGURES 1 and 2, each of the poles are comprised of supports 16, 11 and 12 which are connected to switch bases 13, 14 and 15 respectively. An operating mechanism is provided for each of the poles and is, for example, contained in housings 16, 17 and 18, which are ganged together by a shaft 19 in the usual manner. The operating mechanisms of each of the poles are then mechanically connected to the extendable contact arms Ztl, 21 and 22 which, as seen in FIGURE 2, can be extended upwardly as is usual in a vertical reach switch. The contact arms have axial rotation to permit high pressure contact engagement when they enter their corresponding stationary contact.

In FIGURES 1 and 2, I have schematically illustrated overhead conductors 23, 24 and 25 which are usually made in the form of flexible cables. These overhead conductors 23, 24 and 25 mechanically support, and are electrically connected to, stationary jaw contacts 26, 27 and 28 which, when the overhead conductors are flexible cables, must have a very full flare so that they can receive the ends of movable contacts Ztl, 21 and 22, even though they are subject to considerable sway.

In accordance with the present invention, and as is best seen in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the overhead conductors are formed of mechanical truss structures 23, 24 and 25. By forming the overhead conductors in this manner, the conductors will have a. minimum weight for a maximum section modulus. The trusses 23, 24 and 25 which can be as long as 70 feet are then supported at their either end by support structures such as elongated supports 29, 3b and 31 for both ends of the buses in FIGURES 3 and 4.

As an unexpected advantage of the invention, it has been found that the horizontal forces on these supports have been considerably reduced as compared to when they are used to carry flexible cables. A flexible cable would use strain insulators anchored to a steel tower. Although the cost of post insulators is considerably more, the tower and anchorage would cost less.

FIGURE 5 shows a perspective view of one of the trusses of FIGURES 3 and 4 wherein the bus is formed of four chord members 49, 41, 42 and 43. The crosssectional area of these chord members will be determined by the desired current density and the span in a given application. For example, and where a rated current of 1600 amperes is to be used, and a 70 foot span, each of the chord members will have a diameter of 1 /2" and can be made of aluminum alloy material. Lacing members, such as the corrugated laces 44, 45, 46 and 47 which could, for example, have a /8" diameter of the same material as the chords so as to contribute to current conduction, are

arsasse welded to the cross members to form the truss in the manner shown.

The manner in which stationary contacts are secured to the truss are best shown in FIGURES 6 and 7 where components similar to those of FIGURES 3, 4 and have been given similar identifying numerals. A stationary contact assembly 50 is generally secured to the truss by means of a pivot support which is carried on pivot support bars 51, 52, 53 and 54 which are secured to the various chords of the truss. The jaw contact includes a blade guide 60 which will guide the end of blade 61, shown in dot-dashed lines, into the main contacting portion of the jaw. The main contacting portion of the jaw is formed by finger contacts 61, 62, 63 and 64 which are pressed toward the center of the jaw by back-up springs such as springs 65, 66 for contact 61 and 63 respectively, best shown in FIGURE 6. The springs are carried on a main support member 67, as shown in FIGURE 6, and a spring tie bar 68a. Thus, the contact assembly is carried from the member 67 which has an extending yoke 68 which terminates in an extending pivot member 69. The extending pivot member 69 is pivotally mounted in a bushing 70 which is carried from the pivot support bars 51 through 54, whereby the complete contact assembly is pivotally mounted with respect to the truss bus.

The back of member 67 has an extended pad 67a which is then electrically connected to laminated shunts '71 and 72-, which have their other ends clamped to the support bars 53 and 54.

In operation of the system, it is clear that the blade guide 60 need have only a relatively small flare, since the stationary contact will always be rigidly located with respect to the vertical reach'switch. Thus, the construction of the jaw is considerably simplified with the jaw having only limited pivotal motion which could be of the order of 3 to allow for slight mis-alignment of blade and contact.

Although I have described preferred embodiments of my novel invention, many variations and modifications will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, and I prefer to be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A support structure for the stationary contact of a vertical reach switch; said support structure comprising a conductive truss; said stationary contact being mechanically and electrically secured to said conductive truss, depending from within said conductive truss.

2. In combination; a vertical reach switch, a stationary contact for said vertical reach switch, and a rigid truss conductor; said truss conductor being supported a predetermined vertical distance above said vertical reach switch; said stationary contact being mechanically and electrically connected to said truss conductor; said vertical reach switch having a movable contact arm extendable from a normal horizontal position, upwards in a vertical direction; the cnd of said movable contact arm being engageable with said stationary contact when said contact arm is vertically extended.

3. The device substantially as set forth in claim 2 wherein said stationary contact is pivotally mounted on said truss; said stationary contact having limited pivotal motion with respect to said truss.

4. A support structure for the stationary contact of a vertical reach switch; said support structure comprising a rigid conductive truss; said stationary contact being mechanically and electrically secured to said conductive truss and substantially enclosed Within said conductive truss; said truss comprising a plurality of parallel extending chords of electrically conductive material; said chords being mechanically and electrically connected together by interlacing members.

5. A support structure for the stationary contact of a vertical reach switch; said support structure comprising a. rigid conductive truss; said stationary contact being mechanically and electrically secured to said conductive truss and substantially enclosed within said conductive truss; said truss comprising a plurality of parallel extending chords of electrically conductive material; said chords being mechanically and electrically connected together by interlacing members; said interlacing members being welded to said chords.

6. In combination; a vertical reach switch, a stationary contact for said vertical reach switch, and a truss conductor; said truss conductor being supported a predetermined vertical distance above said vertical reach switch; said stationary contact being mechanically and electrically connected to said truss conductor; said vertical reach switch having a movable contact arm extendable from a normal horizontal position, upwards in a vertical direction; the end of said movable contact arm being engageable with said stationary contact when said contact arm is vertically extended; said truss comprising a plurality of parallel extending chords of electrically conductive material; said chords being mechanically and electrically connected together by interlacing members.

'7. in combination; a vertical reach switch, a stationary contact for said vertical reach switch, and a truss conductor; said truss conductor being supported a predetermined vertical distance above said vertical reach switch; said stationary contact being mechanically and electrically con nected to said truss conductor; said vertical reach switch having a movable contact arm extendable from a normal horizontal position, upwards in a vertical direction; the end of said movable contact arm being engageable with said stationary contact when said contact arm is vertically extended; said truss comprising a plurality of parallel eX- tending chords of electrically conductive material; said chords being mechanically and electrically connected together by interlacing members; said interlacing members being Welded to said chords.

References Cited by the Examiner ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, Acting Primary Examiner. BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Examiner. 

1. A SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR THE STATIONARY CONTACT OF A VERTICAL REACH SWITCH; SAID SUPPORT STURCTURE COMPRISING A CONDUCTIVE TRUSS; SAID STATIONARY CONTACT BEING MECHANI- 